Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) was an evolutionist who believed in the inheritance of acquired traits.Inheritance of acquired traits is the notion that changes in an organism’s characteristics that are caused by life events or exposure to environmental stimuli may be passed onto offspring.For instance, if a man takes up body building and develops muscle mass, he will pass muscle mass characteristics onto his offspring.Or if a mother becomes a prolific reader, her children may become good readers.

Here is what Lamarck said:"All the acquisitions or losses wrought by nature on individuals, through the influence of the environment in which their race has long been placed, and hence through the influence of the predominant use or permanent disuse of any organ; all these are preserved by reproduction to the new individuals which arise, provided that the acquired modifications are common to both sexes, or at least to the individuals which produce the young."

Lamarck deserves credit for being among the first to provide a comprehensive theory of evolution.He also deserves credit for stressing the important role that environment plays in giving rise to changes in organisms.However, because he advanced the idea of inheritable acquired traits, and idea that has been rejected by the scientific community, he has been relegated to the bottom of the evolution contribution totem pole.At the top of the pole is Darwin’s face, under it is Wallace’s face, and somewhere near the bottom is Lamarck’s face, positioned where people have been able to kick his teeth once and a while for proposing inheritable acquired traits.Well, that may be changing.

Recent discoveries in genetics have uncovered an exciting field called epigenetics.Epigenetics is the study of the mechanisms that drive gene expression without altering the basic structure of DNA.Put simply, certain genes may be turned on and off, thus leading to changes in human phenotype (visible characteristics) without altering the genotype itself. The effects of epigenetics may be far reaching. It may lead to a better understanding of aging, life changes, and the causes and potential cures of diseases, to name a few.

What I find interesting about epigenetics is that the mechanisms driving gene expression can be influenced by environmental stimuli.What is even more intriguing is that epigenetic changes can be passed onto offspring.That’s right, the sort of things you expose yourself too (good and bad) can influence your offspring. I am not just talking about pregnant mothers here.Environmental influences we were exposed to as young children may have epigenetic consequences for our offspring.

Epigenetics is not a vindication of Lamarck’s principle of inherited acquired traits; they are not the same thing.But if I had to pick a scholar who came the closest to presaging epigenetic phenomena, it would have to be Lamarck.Well done, Jean-Baptiste.

Epigenetics is a recent discovery, yet God has always known about it.He knows everything about how the environment affects our epigenetics.I am certain that He took epigenetic phenomena into consideration when he gave us the Word of Wisdom.The Word of Wisdom was given to us as a form of godly admonition or divine advice about what we should take into our bodies.He did not tell us why He gave us the Word of Wisdom, He just did.Yet as science’s understanding of the importance of consumptive habits grows (e.g., balanced diet, moderation, avoiding harmful substances, type II diabetes, epigenetics), we are increasingly uncovering the godly wisdom in the Word of Wisdom.

So those of us who want to pass on favorable epigenetic characteristics to our children and grand children should heed the counsel of the Word of Wisdom.It now appears that the things we were exposed to as children can influence our children’s epigenetics, and the things that we expose our young children to can influence our grandchildren’s epigenetics.

An intriguing concept, this 'epigenetics'. I was reading in the National Geographic (200th Darwin Anniversary edition), and they referred to the process by which genes are turned on or off to distinguish traits in certain organisms. It told how the same gene that produces an arm in a human produces a fin in a fish...it was just the timing of the gene's functioning that determined the result (and, I am sure, the symphonic correlation of other genes as they are shut on and off). In my mind it makes the idea of random genetic mutation as the fuel for microevolution almost insignificant.

Anyway, it got me thinking about what mechanism turns on or off a gene. Does the scientific world have any postulations in this regard? Could it be some sort of 'genetic master code' within spirit that acts on the temporal?

Reply

Dave C.

3/19/2009 04:38:38 am

I agree that epigenetics is very intriguing. Nova released a video on epigenetics a few years ago. Some researchers are looking into whether epigenetics can be used to combat some forms of cancer. I don't remember the details, but if a gene responsible for healthy cell re-growth is not expressing itself then we may be able to find a way to turn it on. The possibilities are exciting.

It is conceivable that some type of master code in the spirit is regulating epigenetics, although most scientists would claim that this idea is a god of the gaps explanation. I personally think that the zone of spirit-body interaction is somewhere at the subatomic level, but this is just conjecture.

Actually, a lot is known about the regulation of gene expression. Mostly, it basically boils down to how different proteins interact with DNA. It's incredible and amazing, but not that mysterious. For a taste try: